1. Plan your program.
2. Do your homework.
3. Assume the reader knows nothing.
4. Follow the directions.
5. Don't think that slick is better.
6. Don't chase the money.
7. Say it once.
8. Be patient.
9. Don't take it personally if you get turned down.
But remember, it’s perfectly acceptable to:
1. Call and ask about the process.
2. Ask more than one source for money.
3. Ask for what you need.
4. Make mid-course corrections.
5. Call for more information if you get turned down.
Credit:
Patricia A. Cummings, past executive director of The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation.
Find Out More
To learn more about the grant-writing process, visit the Minnesota Council on
Foundation's (MCF's) Grantseeking in Minnesota web site at www.mcf.org/mcf/grant. In addition to helpful tips, the site features a searchable database
of organizations that offer grants in Minnesota.
You can also find grant-writing assistance through PFund:
PFund staff and volunteers are available in person or by phone
to help you fine-tune your grant application or even get started for the first time.
Contact PFund's Programs Manager Alfonso Wenker at
awenker@PFundOnline.org or at 612-870-1806.
